Our young people need us

By Darren Stones

We need to be mindful of constantly encouraging and supporting young people to be actively involved in our community.

We need to message them, chat to them, call them, see them, and tell them how good they are at doing what they do. If we can all do this with at least one young person in our life, we can all make a positive difference in that young person's life.

We need to pass on the baton by demonstrating how much we care about our young people. We need to show them how much we care about them and do our best to provide new opportunities for them.

We need to do the little things with and for them so we can develop a respectful bond that sees us all in the community gaining from the experience.

Our young people are our future. We need to nurture them and provide them with opportunities to shine like rising stars. We need to show them we care about them, so they can go on into adulthood to pass on the baton. We owe it to them and to ourselves.

 



Choose to invest in yourself

By Darren Stones

Consider that you have the power to choose to invest in yourself when you want to live your life to its fullest.

1. Consider who it is you want to be serving and engage in education, volunteering and work that leads you to achieving such.
2. Read articles and books that provide information, guidance and insights regarding the people you want to serve.
3. Research on the Internet about those people who are currently working in roles that interest you. Analyse their work, volunteering and education experiences.
4. Connect with people who you can meet face-to-face with so you can talk about life in general. Share experiences and discuss your dreams. Talk about family, work, education, current affairs, fashion, music, food, etc. Connect respectfully and build the connection to a point where you trust each other.
5. Take time to get away from it all. Make this a commitment to yourself and consider it as a health priority. By getting away, you can find space for reflection from a distance. It is when you step back that you can see the bigger picture. This is an opportunity to realign your thoughts and refresh your thinking.

 



Early Offer to study the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at RMIT University

By Darren Stones

On Friday 21st of November 2014, I was privileged and excited to receive an Early Offer from RMIT University to study the undergraduate degree of the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours). I have accepted the offer and enrolled in the program.

Commencing in 2015, the program is four years duration on a full-time basis and will see me working towards becoming a fully qualified social worker in accordance with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

I will be studying the degree program at RMIT's City Campus in Swanston Street, Melbourne at the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.

"The School of Global, Urban and Social Studies is a multidisciplinary leader in delivering education, training and research that contribute to a just and sustainable world."

Having successfully completed the Diploma of Community Services Work and Diploma of Community Development with the Kangan Institute, the social work program with RMIT is a progressive step for me towards experiencing higher learning and gaining further qualifications at the tertiary level.

I do envisage that my studies with RMIT will be a valuable learning experience, and I'm most grateful to those people who continue to encourage and support me in my education goals. It is an honour to receive an Early Offer, and I'm most grateful to RMIT for offering me the opportunity to study and achieve the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours).

In applying to study with RMIT University, my first preference for 2015 is to study the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)/Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) and I remain hopeful of being offered to study this program in Round 1 on 19 January, 2015.

Darren Stones at RMIT University Open Day City Campus 2014

A personal view of mentoring

By Darren Stones

"The path you walk is of your own choosing. If you so desire, I can walk with you along your chosen path and be there to encourage and support you as you decide what is best for you. I am willing to listen to your thoughts and ideas about what you are considering to do. If you wish to discuss your thoughts and ideas, we can happily explore options, views and opinions in a friendly and purposeful manner that could inspire and motivate you to take action. You may discover that your confidence heightens as a result of these interactions between us." - Darren Stones, Mentor, 8/12/2014.